


Climb Aboard My Dream

by Nevermore_red



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms
Genre: As We All Should, Brienne is the Evenstar, Episode 4 continuation, F/M, Fluff, Jaime Apologizes, Pod is always loyal, Post Season 8, Speculation, Tyrion is a Braime Stan, What I need to happen, ignores the final episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-27 10:35:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18737317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nevermore_red/pseuds/Nevermore_red
Summary: The war in Kings Landing is finished. Brienne returns to Tarth and takes up the mantel of Evenstar. One day she gets some unexpected visitors.





	Climb Aboard My Dream

Walking about Tarth gave her a sense of peace, a feeling of home. Though it was true Brienne had some very poor memories here, the good outweighed them all. Namely the love of her father, the Gods rest his soul. Once it was clear that Lady Sansa was well and truly safe, Sandor Clegane of all people taking up the helm of her protector, Brienne had wasted no time in coming back here. In truth, she had nowhere else to go and no one that would want her besides, since Selwyn had died shortly after she’d sent him a raven telling him of her intent to come home.

The island could be a bit lonely at times, it was true, but ever faithful, Podrick had accompanied her. They spent much of their time together working in the training yard or he would help her navigate the new and murky waters of being the Evenstar and running both a castle and an entire island. Her days were busy enough that Brienne rarely could think of anything else, which was for the best, but the nights were the worst. It had been months since Ser Jaime had left her sobbing in the Winterfell courtyard wearing nothing but a housecoat, yet he still haunted her in the dark and silence.

It shouldn’t have surprised her, really. She always knew of the irrational and irrevocable love he had for his sister. Brienne should have known she would always come in second to Cersei Lannister and the hold she held over Jaime. Those last few days before the Battle at Winterfell had lulled her into a false sense of security with him. It wasn’t that she doubted he cared for her, or that he might even love her, but those feelings could never be as strong or as deep as what he felt for his sister. Obviously. But still, she had hoped.

The splash of the tide against her boots brought her out of her thoughts and she took a step back away from the waters edge, the sand crunching under her feet and reminding her faintly of the sound of snow. She glanced out at the wide expanse of the sparkling blue waters, squinting at the glare of the sun off it’s surface. She couldn’t help but wonder what had become of him. The details of what had happened at Kings Landing were chaotic at best, and everyone seemed to have a different opinion or story as to what happened. Some told her that Jaime had choked Cersei to death with his own hand, while others said it was Tyrion that killed her. Still others mentioned how the devoted twins had held each other while the flames took them both, although Sandor Clegane and Jon Snow both assured her that they’d both seen him alive at the end, though neither had known where he’d gone. Wherever he was, whatever he was doing, she hoped he was at peace, that the hazardous addiction that he held for his sister had waned and left him room to become the man she was certain he could be.

“Ser Brienne?”

Brienne turned at the sound of her title to find the sweet elderly man that had been one of her father’s advisors and now acted as one of her own. She insisted that she be called Ser instead of Lady. Most did so.

“Yes, Lord Lelan? What is it?”

“A boat has arrived on the north bay. There is a group of travelers waiting in the great hall that would wish to speak to you.”

“Thank you, Lord Lelan.” Brienne gave him a nod of thanks, then made her way back up to the castle. When she arrived in the Great Hall, she found Podrick already there, sitting at a table and laughing boisterously with a group of men while one of the serving girls brought in a tray with a pitcher of wine and cups. She was dusting sand off one of the legs of her pants when she greeted them.

“Pardons, My Lords, I was down by the…” she trailed off when the men went silent, a chair scraping loudly as none other than Jaime Lannister hurried to his feet. Her heart stopped for an agonizing second before rebounding in her chest at twice it’s normal pace. He looked cleaner than he had the last she’d seen him, his beard still there but trimmed nicely and his hair cut shorter. He wore no armor or boiled leather as had been so common in the past, just a dark leather jerkin over a dark blue tunic. Despite the cleaner clothes and the more tamed hair, he looked…well, he looked terrified actually.

“Ser Lady Brienne!” a jovial voice broke the sudden silence and Brienne startled at the reminder that others were present to look down and see Tyrion Lannister rise to his feet, a warm smile on his face. “I must say, it is so very nice to see you once again.”

“And you, Lord Tyrion.” She dipped her head.

“Apologies for the sudden and unannounced intrusion on your stunning island.” He went on.

“No need.” Brienne spared another glance at Jaime, who was still staring at her. “My home is always welcome to guests.”

“Good.” Tyrion nodded, then motioned back to the table. “Have a seat, will you?”

Still stunned and reeling in confusion, Brienne made her way to the table and took the chair that Podrick had stood and pulled out for her. Once she was sat, Tyrion surprised her by grabbing the pitcher of wine and filling two of the cups before grabbing the other two and handing the pitcher to Podrick.

“Come, young Pod, and show me around this island.”

Brienne gapped like a fish for a moment, watching in horrified silence as the two of them made their way out of the hall, leaving her alone with Jaime. Swallowing hard, she turned back as he retook the seat opposite her. He pulled the cup of wine to him, but didn’t drink. Just nervously twirled the liquid around.

“Why have you come?” she broke the silence. Jaime quickly looked up at her, but then looked back at his cup.

“I’ve always heard Tarth’s waters rival the bluest of sapphires with its beauty. I thought it prudent that I see that for myself.”

“You came all the way from…wherever it was that you were, to see if the water was blue?”

Jaime swallowed, then let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. “It’s not, you know.”

“Not what?” she asked in frustration.

“The water. It’s blue yes, and quite beautiful, don’t get me wrong.” Now he looked up at her. “But it’s not nearly as blue or as beautiful as your eyes.”

Brienne snorted even though the compliment warmed her a bit. It still stung, though, so she masked it with annoyance.

“Jaime Lannister, you are the most frustrating man I’ve ever met in my life.”

He smiled at that, a tilt of his head. The smile faded quickly however, and a grave seriousness took over his features.

“I came here, Ser Brienne, to apologize.”

“You’ve nothing to apologize, Ser Jaime. You did what you thought was best.”

“I did, yes, but I don’t think you know exactly what it is I did or why I did it.”

Brienne looked away. “We had a night together, that was all. You went back to where your heart told you to go.”

“We had more than a single night together, Brienne. And those moments with you meant more to me than I could ever say in words.”

“And yet,” she looked back at him. “You left me.”

“I did.” He sighed, a tiredness filling his eyes. “After hearing that Cersei was winning, that she might actually beat the Dragon Queen, I had no other choice. I left you, and it was the single hardest thing I have ever had the misfortune of having to do. Doing that, seeing you cry, hearing you plead with me, it hurt worse than when they cut my hand off.”

Tears stung, but she refused to cry in front of him again. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“I left you because I knew that I was the only one that could bring Cersei down. And I had to do it. If I didn’t, it would have made killing Aerys completely pointless. Don’t you see that?”

“I do.” She nodded. “But why couldn’t you have just told me that?”

“Because, you are you. Loyal and dedicated to a fault. You would have followed me and in doing so, in showing up at Kings Landing with you by my side, Cersei would have stopped at nothing to kill you. And I couldn’t let that happen. Besides. I didn’t know if I would make it out alive myself.”

Brienne took a moment, taking in what he had said. “So, you broke my heart in some noble attempt to keep me safe?” she asked.

“Yes.” He said emphatically, hope building in his expression.

“Then you are a bigger idiot than I had originally thought.” She shook her head with a snort and Jaime looked stricken. “I love you, of course, but my duty and my oath were to Sansa. Nothing would have made me leave her. If anyone could have understood your desire and need to deal with Cersei, it would have been me. I would have understood, and I wouldn’t have followed you. I might have tried to talk you out of it, talk some reason into you and been mad when you didn’t listen, but at least I would have known you hadn’t just…been finished with me.”

“Gods, Brienne.” Jaime ducked his head, giving it a shake. “No. It wasn’t…I couldn’t just be finished with you.” He looked back at her. “I could never, will never, be finished with you. Permitting you don’t kick my arse off the cliffs and into the ocean.”

Brienne smiled, a heavy weight lifting from her chest and allowing her to breathe again. “It’s a possibility.”

Now Jaime was smiling, reminiscent of that arrogant grin he used to have. “But you won’t, will you. Because you love me.”

Brienne flushed, belatedly realizing she had in fact said that out loud just a moment ago. But he had known, surely he had known before, so she lifted her chin and held his gaze.

“Yes, Jaime. I do.”

“Good.” He grinned, a softness overtaking the cockiness of his smile. “Because I must say, Ser Brienne, that I love you as well.”

Brienne smiled even wider before glancing away, the smile fading some as she took in her home.

“I don’t have much to offer you, Jaime.” She looked back at him. “Tarth is small and rather meaningless to the rest of Westeros. We’re not a prominent place, or an important one.”

“That’s all good and well.” He reached across the table and placed his hand on hers. “Because I have truly nothing to offer you.”

“But…Casterly Rock?”

“Is now Tyrion’s. Queen Daenerys gave it to him once I officially withdrew my claim.”

“Why would you do that?”

“If I were Lord of Casterly Rock, then I couldn’t very well be the regent to the Evenstar, now could I? Well, I suppose I could, but I would need to spend a vast amount of time at the Rock and I wouldn’t want to be away from you that long.”

“Are…” she stopped him. “Are you asking me to marry you?”

Jaime smiled broadly. “Of course. I love you. You love me. If you don’t want to marry, that’s fine, but I would ask that I could remain here, with you, in any capacity that you would have me.”

“No, I..” she stopped to let out a barely suppressed sigh of joy. “I’ll have you. As my husband.”

With that, Jaime rose from his chair and rounded the table to her side where he knelt at her feet, his green eyes bright and full of devotion as he looked up at her.

“That night…when I left you, it tore me up to do that to you. Please know that I will never hurt you like that again.”

“You’re forgiven, Jaime.” She said softly, bringing her hands up to cup his face.

“When I said that I would have killed every man, woman, and child in Riverrun for Cersei, do you remember that?”

“Yes.” She whispered.

“What I didn’t add, was that I didn’t do any of that. For you. You make me want to be a better man. You make me a better man.”

“You were always that man.” She assured him. “I just showed you the way to let him out.”

Jaime nodded, eyes a bit watery, and then he rose up, grasping her wrists and holding her hands on his cheeks while he pressed his mouth to hers. It wasn’t the rough kind they had first shared, in the heat of passion. It was slower, sweeter, like a promise and an oath. Brienne closed her eyes, tilted her head, and kissed him back, pouring all of her own oaths and promises into him.

“Ah, good.” A highly amused voice had them breaking apart, Brienne’s hands falling to Jaime’s shoulders as they both turned to find a smug Tyrion and an amused Podrick just inside the door. “This means more wine for me on the trip back to Casterly. Pod, my boy.” Tyrion turned towards him. “Have you ever seen Casterly Rock?”

“No, My Lord.”

“Well, after the wedding, I’ll take you with me for a getaway. I’m sure Brienne and Jaime will be quite busy by themselves. You won’t want to be here.”

Pod blushed madly, quickly drinking down some more wine. Brienne blushed as well, but Jaime laughed, turning back to her and pressing another searing kiss to her lips.

Perhaps she should have made him suffer some more. Perhaps she shouldn’t have forgiven so easily and quickly. But that wasn’t Brienne, and it wasn’t in her to hold a grudge or punish another that she loved so very much. Besides, she’d always promised her father she would give him grandchildren. And with Jaime, she was certain they would make gorgeous children who would be great warriors.   


End file.
